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OUR WASHINGTON AND YOU VOLUME 7 NUMBER 33
Weekly News Letter
From Office of Karl E. Mundt, M. C. Release - August 22 or after
NOTE TO EDITOR: Mr. Mundt wrote this column, August 11, the day
before he took off for Europe. Next week we expect to be able to
forward you the first of his news reports from overseas.
W.E. O'BRIEN, SECRETARY
WHAT THE MISSION INVOLVES. Last week, I discussed some of the background in Washington
which gave rise to the mission to Moscow and to other countries of the Near East on
which your Congressman is now engaged. If the trip proceeds according to schedule, I
should be in Moscow when you read this and the next issue of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU
should reach you under a foreign date line. From then on until my return, it shall be
my endeavor to send home a weekly newsletter from overseas. I had not intended to get
out a news letter during the Congressional recess but under the changed circumstances
calling for the "recess" to be spent on an official assignment in Russia and the
Mediterranean countries, the earlier-than-expected issuing of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU
has been resumed.
In some instances, it may be impossible to write the whole story until we return
but since it is you folks who really gave me this assignment by sending me to Congress.
I shall try to share my experiences with you as completely as possible. To that end,
it will be appreciated if those who receive these letters in communities where they do
not appear in print will hand or mail them to friends who might be interested since it
is impossible to send them out to more than a few personal friends in addition to the
editors and radio people of the State. When I get back to South Dakota when Congressional activities again permit (probably later this Fall) I shall endeavor to tell you
on the radio and thru public meetings more complete reactions than are possible thru this
column altho the State Department is cooperating by flying back via diplomatic pouch
such news letters as time, opportunity, and the press of circumstances permit.
Some of our assignments overseas are of a secret nature which cannot be discussed
in advance of our official reports back in Washington but other features of our mission
as we undertake them for the various branches of Government are now matters of public
knowledge. Readers of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU might be interested in knowing some of
the many items crowding our agenda on this trip.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT. We shall work with our Embassy Officials throughout the trip
and the State Department is supplying all necessary interpreters. Our task in this
connection is to inspect Embassy properties and compare them with those of other major
powers; to check into the work being done by our Embassy Officials; to confer with
foreign officials and private citizens abroad on their fears and hopes for the future
and on their desire to cooperate with the United States in making this new peace secure
and permanent; to help convince those in other lands that the people of this country
(not only our Chief Executive and our State Department - but the people who really
comprise the United States) seek primarily an enduring peace as a dividend from this
war and that we have no desire to be "overlords of humanity"; to invite the peoples'
representatives of other lands to visit the United States so as to come to know and
understand our ideals and institutions better; and to urge the exchange of educational
and cultural leaders and the active participation in and encouragement of the proposed
International Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT. "G 2" of the War Department (the Intelligence Division) has
briefed us extensively concerning information it desires us to bring back from the areas
visited. Necessarily, much of this data must be confidential at least until our reports
are made, but included are such items as (1) The internal economic conditions in Turkey
(2) Evidences of Government initiative in the various countries on the problems of
stimulating their own relief and rehabilitation programs (3) The political attitudes and
aspirations of the "little people" in the various countries (4) The opinions which folks
abroad hold generally toward the United States - especially in areas where we have not
had large military establishments.
THE CONGRESS. In addition to the vital interest of Congress in creating expanding
circles of friendship abroad in order that this time peace may be permanent and that
it may be based on mutual understandings and intelligent good will, the House of Representatives which initiates all legislation requiring appropriations (even in foreign
affairs, all legislation involving money must originate in the House so the House
Foreign Affairs Committee acts ahead of the Senate on practically all matters - it is
only on such problems as joining the United Nations Organization or treaties not
involving money that the Senate acts alone) needs a first hand report on such expensive
and tremendous projects as LEND-LEASE and UNRRA. We shall study the many ramifications
of these agencies. How is the material being used? What are the existing needs? How
much can foreign governments do for themselves? What are the foreign reactions to
these aids? Are we reaping dividends in good will while helping the distressed or are
we stimulating new jealousies and envies? Are we really helping others to help themselves or are we merely helping others to become dependent on still others? These and

The work from which this copy was made did not include a formal copyright notice. This work may be protected by U.S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code), which governs reproduction, distribution, public display, and other uses of protected works. Some uses may be legal with permission from the copyright holder, if the copyright on the work has expired, or if the use is fair use or compliance with the law. All use of DLSD material and content, whether utilized under fair use or used with written permission to publish, must name the Karl E. Mundt Historical & Educational Foundation, Karl E. Mundt Library, Dakota State University, as the original source for the material.

The work from which this copy was made did not include a formal copyright notice. This work may be protected by U.S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code), which governs reproduction, distribution, public display, and other uses of protected works. Some uses may be legal with permission from the copyright holder, if the copyright on the work has expired, or if the use is fair use or compliance with the law. All use of DLSD material and content, whether utilized under fair use or used with written permission to publish, must name the Karl E. Mundt Historical & Educational Foundation, Karl E. Mundt Library, Dakota State University, as the original source for the material.

Date Digitized

2012-12-03

Transcript

OUR WASHINGTON AND YOU VOLUME 7 NUMBER 33
Weekly News Letter
From Office of Karl E. Mundt, M. C. Release - August 22 or after
NOTE TO EDITOR: Mr. Mundt wrote this column, August 11, the day
before he took off for Europe. Next week we expect to be able to
forward you the first of his news reports from overseas.
W.E. O'BRIEN, SECRETARY
WHAT THE MISSION INVOLVES. Last week, I discussed some of the background in Washington
which gave rise to the mission to Moscow and to other countries of the Near East on
which your Congressman is now engaged. If the trip proceeds according to schedule, I
should be in Moscow when you read this and the next issue of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU
should reach you under a foreign date line. From then on until my return, it shall be
my endeavor to send home a weekly newsletter from overseas. I had not intended to get
out a news letter during the Congressional recess but under the changed circumstances
calling for the "recess" to be spent on an official assignment in Russia and the
Mediterranean countries, the earlier-than-expected issuing of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU
has been resumed.
In some instances, it may be impossible to write the whole story until we return
but since it is you folks who really gave me this assignment by sending me to Congress.
I shall try to share my experiences with you as completely as possible. To that end,
it will be appreciated if those who receive these letters in communities where they do
not appear in print will hand or mail them to friends who might be interested since it
is impossible to send them out to more than a few personal friends in addition to the
editors and radio people of the State. When I get back to South Dakota when Congressional activities again permit (probably later this Fall) I shall endeavor to tell you
on the radio and thru public meetings more complete reactions than are possible thru this
column altho the State Department is cooperating by flying back via diplomatic pouch
such news letters as time, opportunity, and the press of circumstances permit.
Some of our assignments overseas are of a secret nature which cannot be discussed
in advance of our official reports back in Washington but other features of our mission
as we undertake them for the various branches of Government are now matters of public
knowledge. Readers of YOUR WASHINGTON AND YOU might be interested in knowing some of
the many items crowding our agenda on this trip.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT. We shall work with our Embassy Officials throughout the trip
and the State Department is supplying all necessary interpreters. Our task in this
connection is to inspect Embassy properties and compare them with those of other major
powers; to check into the work being done by our Embassy Officials; to confer with
foreign officials and private citizens abroad on their fears and hopes for the future
and on their desire to cooperate with the United States in making this new peace secure
and permanent; to help convince those in other lands that the people of this country
(not only our Chief Executive and our State Department - but the people who really
comprise the United States) seek primarily an enduring peace as a dividend from this
war and that we have no desire to be "overlords of humanity"; to invite the peoples'
representatives of other lands to visit the United States so as to come to know and
understand our ideals and institutions better; and to urge the exchange of educational
and cultural leaders and the active participation in and encouragement of the proposed
International Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT. "G 2" of the War Department (the Intelligence Division) has
briefed us extensively concerning information it desires us to bring back from the areas
visited. Necessarily, much of this data must be confidential at least until our reports
are made, but included are such items as (1) The internal economic conditions in Turkey
(2) Evidences of Government initiative in the various countries on the problems of
stimulating their own relief and rehabilitation programs (3) The political attitudes and
aspirations of the "little people" in the various countries (4) The opinions which folks
abroad hold generally toward the United States - especially in areas where we have not
had large military establishments.
THE CONGRESS. In addition to the vital interest of Congress in creating expanding
circles of friendship abroad in order that this time peace may be permanent and that
it may be based on mutual understandings and intelligent good will, the House of Representatives which initiates all legislation requiring appropriations (even in foreign
affairs, all legislation involving money must originate in the House so the House
Foreign Affairs Committee acts ahead of the Senate on practically all matters - it is
only on such problems as joining the United Nations Organization or treaties not
involving money that the Senate acts alone) needs a first hand report on such expensive
and tremendous projects as LEND-LEASE and UNRRA. We shall study the many ramifications
of these agencies. How is the material being used? What are the existing needs? How
much can foreign governments do for themselves? What are the foreign reactions to
these aids? Are we reaping dividends in good will while helping the distressed or are
we stimulating new jealousies and envies? Are we really helping others to help themselves or are we merely helping others to become dependent on still others? These and